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The type of magma in the earth creates four different types volcanoes:
shield volcanoes
composite volcanoes
cinder cones
lava domes
Kilauea Hawaii
Because of their large quantity on the planet Earth and deadly mudflows, composite volcanoes
are believed to kill the most amounts of people and do serious damage to anything in their
paths, when compared with any other type of volcano. Apart from the scary side, some of the
most beautiful mountains on planet Earth are also, actually, composite volcanoes.
Examples include Mount Fuji in Japan, Mount Cotopaxi in Ecuador, Mount Shasta and Lassen in
California, Mount Hood in Oregon, Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in Washington and Mt.
Etna in Italy
Cinder cones
Cinder cones are circular or oval cones built from erupting lava that breaks into small pieces as it
shoots into the air. As small pieces fall back to the ground, they cool and form cinders around the
vent.
One of the most common types of volcanoes is the Cinder Cones. A relatively less-dangerous
type of volcano, Cinder cones only grow to about a 1,000 1,200 ft. Unlike some of the other
types of volcanoes namely, shield volcanoes and composite volcanoes these cinder cones are
usually created from a single opening. The opening of a cinder cone is a cone-shaped structure,
while the steeps are formed of the erupted, fragmented cinders that fall close to the
chimney/vent.
The manner of eruption for cinder cones is relatively simpler. When the lava erupts, cinders of it
are blown into the air. It is these fragmented cinders that fall around its opening
Paricutin
Sunset Crater
Lava domes
Lava domes are formed when erupting lava is too thick to flow and makes a steep-sided mound
as the lava piles up near the volcanic vent.
Lava domes is the fourth type of volcano that we are going to discuss. Unlike composite and
shield volcanoes, lava domes are of significantly smaller stature. Basically, lava domes are
formed when the lava is too viscous to flow to a great distance, and hence, it continues to pile
within. As the lava dome keeps growing, the outer surface starts to cool and become hardened.
When a lava dome is grown to a significant extent, it shatters the outer surface, which results in
spilling loose fragments towards its sides. Generally, such lava domes are found on the flanks of
larger composite volcanoes.
Lassen Peak
Kilauea Hawaii
Vulcanian Type:
In the Vulcanian type eruption the lava is relatively more viscous and pasty. The result is that
between successive eruptions, the lava gets solidified. Hard crusts are formed in the volcanic
vents creating obstruction for the subsequent eruptions.
The crust so formed allows the accumulation of gases which gather strength. Due to these gases,
the subsequent eruptions are more violent so that the viscous lava and its crust are shattered to
angular fragments of all sizes.
The resulting clouds being ash-laden are dark or rather black. As these clouds rise up in the
atmosphere, they assume a cauliflower shape.
It may be pointed out that Vulcanian eruption is characterized by the brilliant lightning flashes in
the cloud or between the cloud and the ground.
The friction of tephra particles generates electrical discharges. Thunderstorms are gene-rated by
the heat and torrential muddy rainfall follows.
Remember that Vesuvius is a better example of Vulcanian eruption than Vulcano itself.
Vulcano, an island north of Sicily was named after the Roman god of fire and its name was given
to this type of volcanic activity.
Vulcano
Paricutin
Strombolian Type:
This type is named for the famous volcano Stromboli situated in the Mediterranean Sea north of
the island of Sicily. Lava in this type is basaltic and less fluid than in the Hawaiian type.
Gases escape with moderate explosions which may be rhythmic or nearly continuous. Volcanic
bombs and lumps of Scoria which are red-hot are blown out. Eruptions normally take place at
short intervals.
However, sometimes violent explosions occur and fragmental materials such as dust, volcanic
bombs, scoria and pumice etc. are hurled into air. These materials sometimes fall back into the
fiery crater.
It may be pointed out that Stromboli is in constant eruption. However, other volcanoes of this
type do not erupt constantly. The persistent lava foundation activity of Stromboli has caused it to
be known as "lighthouse of the Mediterranean".
Irazu Volcano
Pelean Type:
This type of eruption is characterised by being the most explosive of all types. The lava is
extremely viscous. Due to the growth of an obstructive dome above the conduit, the upward
escape of lavas is resisted, so that each successive eruption has to clear away these domes.
When eruption of Pelean type occurs, the explosions are extremely violent and the cones and
craters are completely demolished.
The Mt. Pelee which erupted on May 8, 1902, a large number of huge blocks of lava, more than
100 tons in weight, were thrown away at great distance from the crater.
In the Krakatoa eruption of 1883, a large part of the old cone was blown off. In 1911, Mt. Taal in
the Philippine Islands erupted so violently that the old crater walls were partly blown away and a
new crater was created.
In 1902, in Mount Pelee's disastrous eruption there was a sudden outburst of a dark and heavy
cloud, consisting of hot gases and incandescent dust, which rolled down the mountain side with
great rapidity.
Everything in its path was burnt and destroyed. "These downward-rolling explosive blasts, one of
which demolished St. Pierre, are referred to as nuee ardente.
The nuees ardentes are referred to as 'glowing avalanches'. They consist of self-expansive
particles and are more mobile than any lava flow could be" - A. Holmes.
Mt. Pelee
Krakatoa
Vesuvian Type:
This type of eruption is characterised by the extremely violent expulsion of magma which is
highly charged with gases that are highly explosive.
Because this type of eruption is violent, the ejected materials are blown off to greater heights in
the atmosphere.
Another characteristic feature of this type of eruption is that due to concentration of explosive
gases through the conduit, lava flows escape from fissures and vents on the flanks.
Thus, the main channel (conduit) is made empty down to a considerable depth. Because of the
reduction of overhead pressure, the underlying magma expels itself through the crater as vast
clouds of volcanic gases which assume the shape of a cauliflower.
They are luminous even at night. From these clouds which attain great heights, there are
showers of volcanic ashes.
Vesuvius
Plinian Type:
This is the most destructive and explosive type of eruption. As a matter of fact, it is just the most
violent type of the Visuvian eruption.
In this type of eruption there is a great blast of up-rushing gas which rises to a height of many
kilometers. At great heights the emitted gas spreads out into an expanding cloud of globular
masses of gas and vapour.
The proportion of volcanic ash is low. Since this type of eruption was first observed and recorded
by Pliny during the cataclysmic eruption of Visuvius in A.D.79, its name was given after him.
Vesuvius
Mt. Pinatubo
Phreatic or hydrothermal
These are steam-driven explosions that occur when water beneath the ground or on the surface
is heated by magma, lava, hot rocks, or new volcanic deposits (for example, tephra and
pyroclastic-flow deposits).
Taal Volcano
Phreatomagmatic
defined as juvenile forming eruptions as a result of interaction between water and magma. They
are different from magmatic and phreatic eruptions.
Fukutokuokanoba Volcano